Following months of speculation, the Philadelphia Eagles finally visited the White House to meet with Donald Trump Monday afternoon – even without some of their biggest stars.
But in spite of quarterback Jalen Hurts’ curious scheduling conflict, Trump took the high road with the Super Bowl MVP after gushing over Eagles running back Saquon Barkley.
‘Complementing Saquon’s historic season was an incredible year for a star quarterback Jalen Hurts,’ Trump told the crowd at the White House on Monday. ‘He really played, he had a great season and a great game. Finished with 32 touchdowns on the year, turning in one stellar performance after another, terrific guy.’
Most of the Eagles roster traveled 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to toast their Super Bowl LIX victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, despite a number of prominent players, including Hurts, rejecting the invitation.
The trip to the nation’s capital is traditional for all US sports teams who have clinched their respective championship but there had been doubt whether the NFL franchise would attend at all.
The team did not visit Washington to celebrate victory at Super Bowl LII in 2018. Trump – then in his first term if office – canceled the event after it emerged that only a handful of players were planning to attend. It came amid his war with the NFL over protests during the national anthem.
The Eagles did ultimately accept the offer after it was extended by the White House, but owner Jeffrey Lurie had insisted every player would be given the choice of whether to attend or not: ‘Our culture is that these are optional things.’
Lurie, a well-known supporter of Hillary Clinton’s failed 2016 Presidential bid, is actually Trump’s neighbor in Palm Beach. But despite Lurie’s political leanings, Trump once again took the high road on Monday.
‘He’s my neighbors, right?’ Trump asked. ‘And he’s a good neighbor.’
Trump welcomed the Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia to the White House on Monday
Trump and Philadelphia Eagles’ running back Saquon Barkley shake hands at the White House
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts DID not attend the team’s trip to the White House
The quarterback led the Philadelphia Eagles to victory at Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans
And some of the team’s biggest names took Lurie up on the freedom of choice with Hurts leading the pack.
It emerged earlier on Monday that the quarterback would not be celebrating his Super Bowl MVP alongside his teammates at the White House as he opted to skip the customary audience with the president.
The missing players are said to be absent due to ‘scheduling conflicts,’ according to NBC News’s Yamiche Alcindor.
Just last week, the signal caller had hinted that he could skip the visit to the nation’s capital when asked if he was planning on heading to the White House during an interview with TIME.
‘Ermmmm,’ the Super Bowl MVP, who recently revealed he had tied the knot with wife Bry Burrows, said before staying silent, prompting an abrupt and awkward end to the interview.
However, there are no question marks over Hurts’ superstar teammate, Saquon Barkley. The running back is practically nailed on to be in attendance after cozying up to the president over the weekend.
Barkley was seen alongside Trump at his Trump National golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey at the weekend and traveled with the President on Marine One.
Inevitably, Trump’s ardent critics were quick to pile in on Barkley as he spent time with the most powerful man in the country and by Monday morning, the Eagles hero had had enough.
Philadelphia Eagles star Saquon Barkley spent time with Donald Trump over the weekend
‘Lol some people are really upset cause I played golfed and flew to the White House with the PRESIDENT,’ Barkley wrote on X.
‘Maybe I just respect the office, not a hard concept to understand. Just golfed with Obama not too long ago…and look forward to finishing my round with Trump!
‘Now ya get out my mentions with all this politics and have amazing day.’
Head coach Nick Sirianni also previously insisted that he was ‘excited’ to head down to DC, describing the visit as an ‘honor.’
‘Teams that have been able to win championships have been doing that for a long time, and I’m really honored to go and really excited to go,’ he said.
